While unplanned colonies retain a negative image for most city planners, pragmatic reasons favour their regularisation. A large number of Delhi's residents live in such unauthorised colonies, most of which are now being regularised. But just how many people, and what changes for them through regularisation? This process does not come without preconditions, spelled out through an emphasis on self-enumeration as well as the mandatory formation of resident welfare associations during the application for legal status.

Visits to seven small towns in north India reveal how paucity of funds, slipshod planning and a dearth of capabilities have contributed to poor civic services and inadequate infrastructure. Citizens in some areas have organised themselves into neighbourhood committees to tackle problems that the urban bodies neglect, but this has its limitations and cannot substitute for efficient local government. The keys to tap the rich potential in these small towns are purposeful research, participative planning, responsive governance and healthy finances.

Urbanisation in India is currently marked by two fundamental trends: lopsided migration to the larger cities and unbalanced regional economic development. In this context, this paper makes a case for the concerted development of small and medium cities as the key focus in the strategy to ensure sustainable urbanisation in India. As cities plan for the long term, among the most critical components they need are the availability of land and the provision of infrastructure and services for a growing population.